Promoting Healthy Childhood Sexual Development Using Puberty: The Wonder Years

What Is Natural and Healthy?

Children gather information about everything as they move through childhood; this includes natural and healthy sexual exploration. Children are learning about bodies, gender roles and behaviors, and relationships. Thus, between 40 and 85% of children will engage in some form of sexual behavior by age 13. Childhood curiosity that results in voluntary sexual exploration between children of similar age, size, and development is normal. Games like “playing doctor,” “playing house,” and “spin the bottle” are ways for children to learn about themselves and others.

This can make adults uncomfortable if they aren’t expecting this as a normal part of childhood. It can also make adults afraid that children have been sexually abused if they are not alert to the difference between natural, typical behaviors and problematic behaviors that might be warning signs of trauma. It is important for adults to respond calmly and avoid shaming children when they are discovered in sexual exploration.

Since most adults want to believe that children are asexual and innocent, it has been difficult for researchers to study healthy childhood sexuality. Therefore, most of the research on childhood sexuality is based on children who have experienced child abuse.

Puberty: The Wonder Years Promotes Healthy Sexual Development

Benefits for Administrators:

Puberty: The Wonder Years is aligned to English Language Arts Standards and Health Education Standards.

Teachers receive easy-to-use lessons that can be consistently implemented in all classrooms.

Family engagement strategies build trust and support for teaching puberty education.

Benefits for Teachers:

Puberty: The Wonder Years is teacher-friendly, easy to use, and reduces prep time.

Lessons teach skill development using interactive strategies to keep students engaged in their learning.

Curriculum builds student knowledge and skills across three years.

Lessons are aligned to English Language Arts Standards and Health Education Standards.

Benefits for Parents and Other Trusted Adults:

Puberty: The Wonder Years provides a way for teachers and parents to work together to teach about puberty.

Family Partnership Flyers equip adults with tools and information to feel more comfortable talking with their children about puberty and sexual development.

Family Activities promote adult-child communication and ensure opportunities to discuss family values.

Ways to Promote Healthy Sexual Development

The chart below describes some typical childhood behaviors. Some children exhibit some of these typical behaviors and some do not. The chart also describes how Puberty: The Wonder Years can help adults support children’s healthy sexual development.

Typical Behaviors

Needed Supports for Healthy Development

How Puberty: The Wonder Years Helps

Express an increased need for privacy and independence as puberty begins

Provide ongoing information about the physical aspects of puberty and changes in their body

Reassure that it is normal for everyone to be unique, but that everyone eventually gets through puberty

Teaches that everyone experiences puberty in their own timing

Describes the physical, social, and emotional changes of puberty

Provides Family Partnership Flyers to give parents and other trusted adults ways to talk with children about puberty

Show interest in relationships, Want to have a girlfriend or boyfriend

Encourage characteristics of healthy friendships and relationships

Help to normalize the new emotions and needs that they may be experiencing

Remind children that it is okay to fit in with their peers, but not to stop thinking for themselves or get carried away by the crowd

Teaches how to develop healthy relationships and what to do in unhealthy relationships

Teaches the social and emotional changes of puberty

Provides Family Activity assignments for students to talk with parents and other trusted adults about puberty

Begin to be sexually attracted to their peers, Play games involving sexual behavior such as “Truth or Dare” or “Spin the Bottle”

Support children in understanding they have both rights and responsibilities in their friendships and relationships

“My students had lots of questions! They thanked me for being willing to teach them about what is happening to them.”

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Mike B., Lansing School District

“Puberty: The Wonder Years doesn’t just stick to puberty. The curriculum also includes lessons on topics that I think are necessary, such as bullying and social-emotional components. There’s also a lot of scripting for really good conversation and prompts for the teachers.”